Closure for tubular paste and other containers



Dec. 18, 1934. N. A. FRAHM 1,934,872

CLOSURE FOR TUBULAR PASTE AND OTHER CONTAINERS Filed Oct. 27, 1933 INVENTOR fielson f2 Fiwfi m,

Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED, STATES CLOSURE FOR TUBULAR PASTE AND OTHER. 'CONTAINERS- 1' Nelson A. Frahm, Bloomfield, 151. J. v Application October 27, 1933, Serial No. 695,415 7 Claims. (01. 221-60) The present invention relates to an improvement in closures for containers having'access apertures but is particularly adapted for use on tubular paste containers, for tooth paste and the like, and'has'for its principal advantage the provision of an attached non-removable closure, which when closed over the extruding aperture, is firmly lockedthereon, being proof against ac- 'cidental opening, but is easily manipulable .to open and is retained on the tube when open.

One of the'main features of the presentdevice isthe flexibility of the closure, and the use of such flexibility to cause the closure to act to tighten its seal'when in tube sealing position.

' Other features of advantage will be noted as the herein description proceeds, and it is obvious that modifications may be made in the herein disclosed device without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims. In the drawing,

. Fig. 1 is an "enlarged fragmentary sectional fview of the device taken on line '1-1, Fig. '5, I I I I Y flanges 5 -5, thereby to impart a certain amount looking'in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 2' is an enlarged bottom View of the closure valve apart from its coacting slide support;

Fig. 31is'a reduced plan viewof the valve in closed position; r

Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 3 with the valve closed; I

Fig. 5 is a view similar toFig. 3, showing the start of opening the valve with the lock means free;

Fig. 6 is. a plan view showing the valve completely open;

Fig. 7 is a side view of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 shows a modified form of valve-locking mount, on the tube.

The present embodiment is shown as applied to a threaded tube cap, this being a preferred form, although it is obvious that the sliding mount for the valve could be, without alteration of the hereinafter described functions, made integral with the neck portion of the tube.

The threaded cap or valve support body, generally denoted by '6, has a lower threaded portion 9 adapted to engage the threaded open end 10 of a paste tube 11, the cap being, preferably, square or rectangular on its exterior contour, and being provided with an open central bore 14 in its top portion 16, to register with the bore of the tube.

Between the top portion 16, on its interior, as in Fig. 1, at 18, there is formed a space between the top edge of the tube neck and the interior top wall of the top 16, in which may be seated a.

,nel formed, thin 5+5 on opposite sides being bent downwardly to cork disc 13, for added sealing purposes, during shipment, which may be removed and disposed of, on the first use of the paste. v The cap body 6 is provided with two slide receiving grooves 8-8, these being located on opposite sides of the body6, near the top face 16 of the body. n p

Into these. oppositelyllocated grooves 8-8 is slidably mounted the two opposite legs 2--2 of a wire-formed rectangular sliding frame, comprising a single piece of wire bent to form the two legs 2-7-2, 9. cross piece 15 and two short abutting arms14-.+4, Fig. 2. p Near the abutting arm end I of the frame, which 'end isfresilient, by reason of the arms being unattacheiis welded a chanmetallic plate 1, the flanges engage over the legs' 2 2 and with the outer faces of said wire'leg's. The flanges are welded to the said legs; thus forming ajcover plate. .As will be'noted in'Fig. 1, the cover plate .is transverselyjbowed or crowned upwardly between the of side spring movement of the legs 2-2 away .from oneanother, they being normallystressed inwardly" towards each other by the crowned plate By examiningFig. 2, which discloses'the under side of theslide valve-assembly; it will be noted thatthe two legs "2-2 have their 'endsinset' as at 3-3. The purpose of these inset ends is dis'-,

closed in Fig. 3, wherein the valve'assembly is located slidably in the grooves 8-8 by the legs 2-2 and the insets 3-3 have been forced into the grooves 8-8, thus to be sprung apart, near the end of the closing stroke, and thedistension caused thereby flattens the bow out of plate 1, from the arched position 13 shown in Fig. 1, and draws plate 1 down flattowards the'top surface 16" of the body 6,'thus"locking the slide on body 6 and causing the valve plate to firmly embrace face 16. In the present construction the under face of valve plate 1 is provided with a cork disc 'I, Fig. 1, to provide a cushion closing seal thereon.

In closing the valve to position Fig. 3, the inbent wire slide ends 44 act as closing stops as well as providing end members. to be pushed by the fingers. To open the valve the connecting leg 15 of the slide wire frame is pushed in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 3, and, as the frame and valve reach the position of Fig. 5, the spring locks 3-3 are released, permitting the crowned valve plate to spring clear of the cap surface 16 and then the slide frame is pushed to the end limit of portion 15, exposing the tube aperture through cap aperture 14, as in Figs. 6 and 7.

An alternate plate and frame lock spreading means is shown in Fig. 8, wherein the valve support on the tube 11 is shown as having its opposed slide frame guideways or grooves in transverse tapering relation, so that with the legs 2-2 being similarly defined in a like taper, when closing the slide valve frame and plate, the legs 2-2 gradually become wedged to the valve support 6 and are thus locked thereto, this action also causing the resilient, crowned valve plate to tighten on its seat, as described for Figs. 1 to 7.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. The combination with a tube having an extrusion aperture in its neck, said neck having side grooves therein, of a wire frame having side legs slidably mounted in said grooves, a plate covering said aperture and having side flanges fixed to said legs at one of the ends of the frame, and a manipulable cross piece joining said legs at the opposite end of the frame, whereby on manipulation of said cross piece said legs may be slid to open the aperture.

2. A closure comprising in combination with a tube having a neck, said neck having a discharge aperture therein and there being pposed grooves in said neck, a wire frame having legs slidably mounted in said grooves, said frame being open between said legs at one end thereof whereby to uncover the aperture, said legs being free at their opposite ends, and a resilient plate disposed on the opposite end of the frame and having flanges attached to the free ends of said legs, so that said legsmay be slid to move said plate into covering relation with the aperture.

3. A closure for tubes comprising in combination with a tube having a discharge aperture in its neck, said neckhaving opposed grooves in its sides and there being a fiat seat around the mouth of said aperture, a wire frame having side legs slidably mounted in said grooves and being open at one end to uncover said mouth, said legs being free at the opposite end of the frame, and a resilient bowed plate disposed on the last mentioned end and havingside flanges attached to the free end of said legs, whereby said legs may be slid to move said plate into covering relation with said mouth, said free ends being expansible whereby to flatten said plate so as to sealingly engage said seat.

4. A closure for tubes comprising in combination with a tube having in its neck a discharge aperture; said neck having opposed grooves in its sides and there being a flat seat around the mouth of said aperture; a frame of resilient wire having legs slidably mounted in said grooves and being open at one end to uncover said mouth, said legs being free at the opposite end of the frame, a resilient bowed plate disposed on the last mentioned end and having side flanges attached to the free ends of said legs, whereby said legs may be slid to move said plate into covering relation with said mouth, and means for urging said free ends outwardly, so as to flatten said plate whereby to sealingly engage said seat.

5. A closure for tubes comprising in combination with a tube having a neck; said neck having opposed grooves in its sides and there being a flat seat around the mouth of said aperture; a frame of resilient wire including an end cross piece and having side legs slidably mounted in said grooves, said frame being open at said cross piece so as to expose said mouth, said legs being free at the opposite end of the frame; a resilient bowed plate disposed on the last mentioned end and having side flanges attached to the free ends of said legs, whereby said legs may be slid to move said plate into covering relation with said mouth; and inset shoulders on said free ends for engaging said neck whereby to urge said free ends outwardly so as to flatten said plate for sealingly engaging said seat, said shoulders being also adapted to grip said neck so as to hold the plate in sealed position.

6. The combination with a tube having an extrusion aperture in its neck, of a slide valve slidably supported over said aperture to open and close the same; said neck having two opposed sides and being provided with frame receiving grooves in said sides; a resilient frame, having sliding legs which are tapered towards one another and are slidably mounted in said grooves and a resilient, bowed aperture closing valve on said slide frame to open or close the said aperture when the resilient frame is slid in said grooves, said grooves being tapered towards one another to cause the tapered slide frame and valve to be locked and stressed when in closed position.

7. The combination with a tube having an extrusion aperture in its neck, of a slide valve slidably supported over said aperture to open and close the same; said neck having two opposed sides and being provided with frame receiving grooves in said sides; a resilient frame slidably mounted in said grooves; a resilient, bowed aperture closing valve on said slide frame to open or close the said aperture when the resilient frame is slid in said grooves and means on said frame to cause the slide frame and valve to be locked and stressed when the valve is in aperture closing position.

NELSON A. FRAHM. 

